Heavy Metal. Hard Rock. Music.

NIGHTWISH Mainman Says Band Has Received Criticism For ‘Imaginaerum’ Musical Direction

NIGHTWISH songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen recently spoke to Artisan News about the band’s North American tour; how their latest album, “Imaginaerum”, has been received; and the forthcoming premiere of the “Imaginaerum” movie. You can now watch the report below.

“We got some criticism for ‘Imaginaerum’, saying that this is no more metal, it’s just soundtrack, there’s too much orchestra, all that,” Tuomas revealed. “There is a lot of that; that’s what we wanted to do with this album, ’cause it’s a soundtrack for a movie. Maybe next album will be total black metal without any orchestras or keyboards or totally acoustic. Who knows?! The main thing is that you always need to do what feels right.”

NIGHTWISH‘s long-awaited “Imaginaerum” film — based on the band’s album of the same name — will be released theatrically in Finland on November 23.

The movie will have its premiere on November 10 at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, where the audience will be treated to both a full-scale NIGHTWISH concert and the first-ever public screening of the movie.

Eagerly anticipated around the world, “Imaginaerum” creates a musical fantasy world in the vein of David Lynch, Neil Gaiman, and Cirque du Soleil. The movie is an innovative mixture of story-telling and music, an extraordinary tale of the power of imagination… and what’s ultimately important in life.

Shot and post-produced in Canada, the movie was directed by Stobe Harju and produced by Solar Films, and features appearances by all NIGHTWISH members. The screenplay is based on a wild vision that Tuomas Holopainen, the mastermind of the band, devised after the album “Dark Passion Play” came out in 2007.

The official soundtrack of the movie, “Imaginaerum By Nightwish: The Score”, will be released on the day before the premiere — Friday, November 9. The album features 13 grandiose, unreleased re-interpretations of “Imaginaerum” tracks by Petri Alanko.

The “Imaginaerum” album was released in the U.S. on January 10 via Roadrunner Records.